Recent Laws on Plastic Bans

The EU just published its official guidance on the Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and more businesses than expected are impacted. The European Commission has released a 57-page guidance document clarifying how Regulation (EU) 2025/40 will work in practice. With the regulation applying from 12 August 2026, the clock is ticking. Here's what businesses should know: → What counts as "packaging" is broader than you think. IV bags, candle containers, and adhesive process films may be excluded but dust bags for shoes and garments, flower pots sold with plants, and beverage cups filled at point of sale are likely in scope. → Know whether you're a "manufacturer" or a "producer." These are two distinct roles with very different obligations. Manufacturers are responsible for sustainability and labelling compliance across the EU. Producers handle extended producer responsibility (EPR) fees in whichever Member State the packaging becomes waste. → PFAS in food-contact packaging is banned from August 2026 with no transitional period for existing stock placed on the market after that date. → Re-use targets kick in from 2030, covering transport, beverage, and sales packaging. At least 40% of transport packaging must be reusable by then. For beverages, final distributors must offer at least 10% in reusable packaging. → Deposit Return Systems must be operational by 2029, targeting 90% separate collection of plastic bottles and metal cans. → Labelling rules are being harmonised and national sorting labels will no longer be permitted alongside EU harmonised labels from August 2028. The guidance is non-binding but reflects the Commission's interpretation. Businesses that move early will be far better placed when enforcement begins. #ppwr #packaging #sustainability #circulareconomy #euregulation #esg #compliance

France finally publishes its long-awaited law on recycled plastics in packaging After months of expectation, the arrêté of 5 September 2025 is here - and it changes the game for producers placing packaging on the French market (effective 1 January 2026). 🔹 Bonuses (per tonne of recycled plastic used): - €450/t if recyclate comes from another EPR stream - €550/t if from the same stream - €1,000/t for hard-to-recycle resins reintroduced into food-contact sensitive packaging 🔹 Minimum incorporation rates for beverage bottles: - PET (clear, coloured, opaque): 25% by end 2029 → 30% from 2030 - HDPE: 0% until 2029 → 30% from 2030 🔹 Localisation rule: To qualify, all steps (collection, sorting, recycling, incorporation) must take place within 1,500 km of France’s geographic centre, or in the EU / countries with equivalent standards. 👉 This clearly covers neighbours like Belgium, Spain, Italy or Germany. Even Ireland and southern Sweden fall within the circle, while parts of Poland or northern Greece are only partially covered. Beyond that, countries such as the Baltics or Cyprus are excluded. 🔹 Exclusions & penalties: - No bonus for PVC recyclate in packaging - No bonus if recycling process yields <50% - Penalties for products containing substances that disrupt recycling 👉 This long-awaited framework aims to secure local, traceable, and high-quality recycling loops, while penalising practices that hinder recyclability. It’s a clear signal: France is raising the bar on packaging circularity and pushing producers to go further, faster.

With the plastics industry unable to meet a mandated 25% recycling rate for expanded polystyrene in California by the deadline, what's the next step for tackling single-use foodware in the Golden State? ICYMI last week, California is now moving forward with the enforcement of its statewide ban on EPS food service ware (commonly known as "Styrofoam"), a significant development announced by CalRecycle on April 5th. This action stems from a provision in the 2022 state SB54 law requiring the ban unless the recycling threshold was met by January 1, 2025 – a target the industry failed to reach. While enforcement specifics are pending, this marks a concrete policy-driven step towards reducing persistent and problematic plastic waste. Here's a few fast facts about EPS and why this legislation is important: 🟢 As of this weekend, enforcement begins because the industry did not meet the required 25% EPS recycling rate by the January 1, 2025 deadline. 🟢 Producers are now prohibited from selling, offering for sale, distributing, or importing EPS single-use food service ware in California (!) - I am wondering what this means for establishments that have EPS in their inventory... 🟢 This statewide action builds on existing EPS restrictions in over 130 California cities and 10 other U.S. states, including where I grew up in Marin. 🟢 Why ban this? Well, EPS recycling faces major hurdles: it's over 90% air (making collection inefficient in say a big truck), rarely accepted curbside, requires special equipment, is uneconomical to process, and has very low market value. 🟢 Beyond recyclability, factors impacts driving the ban include EPS persisting in landfills, easily polluting waterways as litter, breaking into microplastics harmful to wildlife, and containing styrene, identified by California as a carcinogen. This enforcement is a positive signal in the fight against plastic pollution, targeting a material with significant recyclability, environmental, and health drawbacks, and underscores the importance of shifting away from such materials towards readily recyclable, compostable, or reusable alternatives, fostering a more circular system. While enforcing this ban on EPS is a crucial step forward, it's important to recognize it's not a silver bullet for the broader challenge of single-use food service ware. Achieving true circularity requires a systemic shift. This includes prioritizing and scaling up reuse models, enhancing the recyclability of packaging while increasing the use of recycled content, and developing robust systems to ensure compostable materials are actually composted effectively. Still - some good news :) Read some press coverage here: https://lnkd.in/ddHB2b_P #Sustainability #Circularity #PlasticWaste #California #EnvironmentalPolicy #WasteReduction #CalRecycle #EPSban #PublicHealth #Reuse #Recycling #Composting

In 2030, plastic ketchup sachets disappear from EU restaurant tables. Not because people stopped eating ketchup, but because single-use became indefensible. The European Union has confirmed a major shift under Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR): from January 2030, single-dose plastic sachets for sauces, sugar, salt, oil, cosmetics, and hygiene products will be banned for in-room consumption in bars, restaurants, and hotels. This is not symbolism. It’s systems thinking. Why it matters beyond Europe: • These sachets are among the most littered plastic items globally • They are rarely recyclable • They fragment into microplastics that enter waterways, food systems, and human bodies • During rainy seasons, they contribute to urban flooding by clogging drains The EU isn’t banning food. It’s banning a wasteful habit. For institutions, hospitality brands, and ESG leaders, the signal is clear: ➡️ Refillable systems ➡️ Reuse-first design ➡️ Verified waste reduction ➡️ Behaviour-aware service models At Plafera Challenge, this is exactly what we track — daily actions becoming measurable impact, powered by people, not just policy. If Europe can redesign the table… what everyday plastic habit should your institution redesign next? 🔁 Share this so decision-makers see what’s coming. #PlaferaChallenge #PlasticFreeRainySeason #ESG #BeatPlasticPollution #PublicHealth #UrbanFlooding #SustainableSystems Source: Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR), Evidence Network Photo Credit: Evidence Network

Plastic ≠ Plastic? Here’s what most people don’t know about California’s upcoming law (AB1201): If your packaging is certified compostable... ASTM D6400 compliant... BPI or CMA approved... CSI validated… ⚠️ It still might be banned in California by 2026. Why? Because the law treats any polymer, even plant-based, compostable ones, as plastic. Which means: ✅ Compostable produce stickers? ✅ Wood-pulp cellophane? ✅ Biodegradable resins? All labeled “plastic.” All potentially excluded. Now here’s the twist: In science, “plastic” = moldable polymer. In real life, “plastic” = petrochemical, toxic, forever. That definition gap is the real issue. And it’s causing massive confusion in the industry. Not to be dramatic, but this could slow down: ➡️ Circular economy progress ➡️ Composting infrastructure development ➡️ Innovation in sustainable packaging I’ve spent months breaking this down, not just for myself, but for the dozens of companies that reached out to us at Elevate Packaging. Here’s what’s coming in this post series: ✅ What this regulation really means ✅ How it impacts compostables ✅ How California can still lead with clarity This is not about right vs wrong. It’s about alignment. If we don’t match policy with real-world outcomes… We risk solving the wrong problem. If you’re in this space, I’d love to hear your experience. #AB1201 #Packaging

It’s often the simplest, most everyday habits that shape our health in ways we don’t immediately see. Even something as routine as the containers we pack our food in, can quietly influence our well-being over time. So, what really happens when your hot meal is packed in a plastic container? When a hot curry is poured into a single-use plastic box, the heat can cause chemicals to seep into the food. Substances like BPA, phthalates and styrene are not just technical terms, they are known to disrupt hormones, affect reproductive health, and are even linked to cancer. Traces of these chemicals have been found in human blood, placental tissue and breast milk. There is growing evidence that frequent consumption of takeaway food also increases exposure to microplastics. Some studies suggest that people who eat takeout four to seven times a week may ingest hundreds of these tiny particles every week. Microplastics have already been detected in artery plaque and are being linked to a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. This is completely relatable as it is something that affects everyday choices in millions of households across India. The recently notified Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2026, mark an important and necessary shift. They place clear responsibility on businesses for the packaging they introduce into the market, from production all the way to disposal. They push for higher use of recycled materials, greater transparency through digital tracking, and a move towards reuse rather than single use. In simple terms, the era of cheap, unverified plastic containers is coming to an end. Safer, certified and more sustainable packaging must now become the norm. For public health, this is a meaningful step forward. It recognises that food safety is not just about how food is prepared, but also about what it is served in. At Apollo, we have always believed that healthcare begins long before a patient enters a hospital. It starts with the environments we live in and the everyday choices we make.

Ghana is not “thinking about” plastic anymore. It is starting to draw a line. But let’s stop pretending this is a full war on all single-use plastic overnight. What Ghana has clearly moved on is styrofoam food packaging — one of the most visible, most littered and most problematic waste streams in the market. That matters. Because this is what real policy looks like: Not vague sustainability slogans. Not another awareness week. Not another panel discussion about “the future of packaging.” An actual move. Ghana has signalled a ban on the importation, production and use of styrofoam food packs, while wider single-use plastic measures are being shaped through a phased approach. And that is exactly how this transition should be understood: Not one magic ban. A system shift. The direction is becoming clear: Paper instead of foam. Aluminium instead of disposable plastic-heavy formats. Bamboo straws instead of plastic straws. Cassava-based packaging instead of fossil-based throwaway materials. And, hopefully, far more reuse and refill in the years ahead. Because here is the uncomfortable truth: Single-use plastic was never really about convenience. It was about passing the real cost downstream. To streets. To drains. To oceans. To informal waste workers. To governments. To the public. And now countries like Ghana are saying: enough. The timeline is also worth watching. The country has already launched a voluntary pact on single-use plastic bags with a 50% plastic waste reduction ambition by 2030. A 2025 policy blueprint also points to a 5- to 10-year phase-out path for widely discarded single-use plastics, starting with the most visible problem items. That is the real story. This is not just about banning a product. It is about forcing the market to finally answer a question it has avoided for too long: If packaging is used for minutes, why is the environmental cost allowed to last for decades? The bigger risk now is not lack of intention. It is weak enforcement, poor infrastructure, and “alternative” materials being treated as a free pass instead of part of a broader redesign. Because swapping one disposable for another is not transformation. It is just better-looking waste. The smartest countries will not stop at material substitution. They will build systems around reduction, reuse, refill and local circular solutions. Ghana has made a move. Now the real question is: Will others in Africa move faster than Europe on single-use plastics? #Sustainability #CircularEconomy #Ghana #PlasticPollution #SingleUsePlastic #Reuse #Refill #Packaging #WasteReduction #SustainablePackaging

Himachal Pradesh Bans Biodegradable and Compostable Plastics: Himachal Pradesh has taken a significant step towards environmental conservation by banning biodegradable and compostable plastic bags. While these materials are often seen as eco-friendly alternatives, their degradation depends on specific conditions that are not naturally achievable in the state’s climatic environment. These bags require sustained temperatures between 35°C and 40°C for approximately six months to decompose effectively s per the document. However, in Himachal Pradesh, the average temperatures seldom reach this range and often drop below freezing during winters. As a result, these so-called biodegradable and compostable plastics fail to degrade in real-world conditions, leading to pollution and littering similar to conventional plastics. To address this challenge, the government has amended the definition of “non-biodegradable material” under the H.P. Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act, 2023, to include materials that fail to degrade under the state’s natural climatic conditions. The ban extends to single-use plastic items, including carry bags, thermocol cutlery, plastic banners, and other listed items, ensuring a stricter framework for waste management. This initiative underscores the state’s commitment to combating plastic pollution, creating a cleaner environment, and setting an example for others to follow. #compostable #HimachalPradesh #himalayas #plasticwaste #singleuseplastics #sustainability #packaging

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐔 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐞-𝐔𝐩: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰🧑⚖    ❎ The Big Deadlines 🔹By 2030: All packaging placed on the EU market shall be designed for recycling (Design for Recycling criteria to be adopted for each packaging category by end of 2027) and categorized according to recyclability performance grades A, B and C. 🔹By 2035: Recycled-at-scale requirements take effect; focusing on separate collection, sorting into specific waste streams and leading to recycling at scale for defined waste streams. That means packaging must be recyclable at scale across the EU, not just in theory. 🔹By 2038: Only recyclability performance grades A and B will be allowed. ❎ Minimum Recycled Content Targets in Plastics: 🔹By 2030: 30% for PET bottles and contact sensitive packaging from PET, 10% for contact-sensitive packaging other than PET, and 35% for other plastic packaging.  🔹By 2040: Targets will be increased, eg. to 50% recycled content in contact sensitive packaging from PET. ❎ Reusable Packaging Targets: 🔹Not only for beverage distribution but also for transport packaging, which will have big impact on all stages of the value chain.          ❎ Restrictions (“bans”) from 2030: 🔹Think mini hotel toiletries, very lightweight plastic bags, single-portion condiment packs for on-site consumption. ❎ Harmonised Labelling: 🔹One EU-wide disposal label on packaging + matching bin labels from 2028 (reuse labels from 2029).      And here’s the kicker for food producers... For the first time, the compliance burden doesn’t sit with packaging suppliers - it sits with you (the brand owner/manufacturer/importer who places packaging on the market).  That means:  ✅ YOU must prove your packaging meet PPWR requirements.   ✅ YOU will need supplier data, to assess recyclability performance grades for YOUR packaging unit, and to declare achievement of recycled content targets.   ✅ Technical documentation and EU declarations of conformity are mandatory for YOU.      What this means for business?   ✨ You can’t “design pretty” first and think about recycling later.   ✨ “Recycle-ready” isn’t enough if the infrastructure doesn’t actually exist.   ✨ And for beverage and transport packaging? Reuse targets are no longer optional.  ✨ Single-use portion formats in HORECA and accommodation sector, and other formats, will get restricted.  ✨ Marketing claims must match law, not vibe.      This is the biggest packaging shake-up in decades.   If your packaging strategy isn’t already aligned with PPWR… you’re not behind schedule. You’re behind reality.      We’ll be at FACHPACK (23.-25.9.2025). Come find the Wipak stand (Hall 4, Stand 4-312) and ask us the hard questions. Bring your toughest PPWR worries - we’ll bring the answers. Don’t forget to ask about DigitalChoice. Trust me, you want to get in on this!😉 #PPWR #sustainability #plastic #circulareconomy

'On Tuesday, Malaysia, which received more discarded plastic from rich nations than any other developing country last year, effectively banned all shipments of plastic waste from the United States. That might not seem like a big deal. But the United States has increasingly relied on countries like Malaysia to deal with plastic trash. American scrap brokers sent more than 35,000 tons of plastic waste to Malaysia last year, according to trade data analyzed by the Basel Action Network, a nonprofit group that tracks plastic waste issues. Last year, after seizing more than 100 shipping containers of hazardous materials sent from Los Angeles that had been improperly labeled as raw materials, the Malaysian environment minister, Nik Nazmi, told reporters that “we do not want Malaysia to be the world’s rubbish bin.”... Western nations have since struggled with a buildup of plastic trash. The United States recycles less than 10 percent of the plastic it discards... The rest ends up in landfills, is burned or is shipped overseas. And while new overseas destinations have emerged, a growing number of countries are starting to say no to trash. This year, Thailand and Indonesia also announced bans on plastic-waste imports. The world produces nearly a half-billion tons of plastic each year, more than double the amount from two decades ago, and a growing amount of plastic waste is turning up on coastlines and river banks, as well as in whales, birds and other animals that ingest them. Researchers have estimated that one garbage truck’s worth of plastic enters the ocean every minute... People in rich countries may assume the plastic they diligently separate is being recycled, he said, something he termed “wish cycling.” However, instead of going into a recycling stream, “a lot of it gets redirected to waste,” he said. Malaysia’s amended Customs Act bans all plastic waste shipments from countries that have not signed the Basel Convention, a global agreement that regulates hazardous waste including plastic. That puts the United States, the only major country that is not a party to the agreement, in a particularly tricky spot. The amended law also sets stringent restrictions on plastic waste imports from other countries, saying they must contain only one type of plastic, with at most 2 percent contamination, to ensure that the imported plastics are recycled and not discarded. That level would be challenging to meet for any plastic waste collected from consumers... Malaysia’s ban on plastic waste imports from the United States was prompted by the discovery of hundreds of containers filled with hazardous electronic and plastic waste that had been falsely declared as raw materials in order to bypass the country’s trade control laws, said Wong Pui Yi, a researcher at the Basel Action Network.'